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Free to host and read in your browser
BiblioFuse NAS is free to host in Docker or Synology Container Manager. Its web
library and browser reader are also free to use. No subscription is required for
the Docker server or web UI.
This public distribution repository contains installation files and documentation.
The BiblioFuse server source code is maintained separately and is not included here.
Product status
| Host or client | Availability | Reading and connection support |
|---|
| Docker / Synology Container Manager | Public beta 0.1.15 | Free server, browser UI and Local Wi-Fi native streaming |
| BiblioFuse web reader | Included | CBZ, ZIP, CBR, RAR, EPUB, TXT, TEXT and Markdown |
| Released iOS / visionOS apps with Docker | Supported on Local Wi-Fi | Bonjour discovery and pinned HTTPS streaming; Premium is enforced by the native app |
Synology Package Center app (.spk) | Public x86-64 release | Non-root package with guided read-only access to existing DSM shared folders |
| iOS / visionOS native streaming from the Synology app | Supported on Local Wi-Fi | Bonjour discovery and pinned HTTPS streaming; Premium is enforced by the native app |
| BiblioFuse Mac / PC host | Separate product | Recommended when the smoothest native streaming performance is the priority |
Docker and the browser reader remain free. Native streaming is a Premium feature of the
iOS/visionOS app and works on the same local Wi-Fi network.
Browser languages
The browser app can follow the system language or be set in Settings to English,
Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean,
Indonesian, or Malay. This language choice stays in the browser and does not change
server configuration, book metadata, or native clients.
Sync progress, bookmarks and annotations
Reading progress, bookmarks and annotations (highlights and notes) now stay in sync
between the BiblioFuse browser reader and the BiblioFuse apps on iPhone, iPad, Android
phones and Android tablets. Start reading in the browser and continue on a phone or
tablet exactly where you left off, or the other way around.
- Reading progress: the browser and your devices share one reading position per
book, so a book reopens where you stopped, wherever you stopped.
- Bookmarks: a bookmark added in the browser appears on your devices, and bookmarks
added on your devices appear in the browser.
- Highlights and notes: highlights (five colors) and notes, including formatted
notes, sync in both directions. The browser's Annotations page lists them all in
one place.
- Private by design: everything is stored on your own BiblioFuse server, in its
config folder, and is included in BiblioFuse backups. No cloud account is needed.
Sync is on by default; use the latest BiblioFuse app on each device.
Performance expectations
An always-on NAS is convenient, private and power-efficient, but it is not normally
as fast at preparing comic/archive pages as a modern Mac or PC.
- Mac or PC host: the best choice for the smoothest native reading experience.
- NAS host: ideal for an always-available personal library, with some expected lag
while browsing or opening uncached pages.
- NAS CPU matters: archive indexing, decompression, thumbnails and next-page
preparation are CPU work. A more powerful desktop processor often makes a larger
difference than replacing an HDD alone.
- HDD versus SSD/NVMe: SSD storage or NVMe cache can improve cold reads and repeated
access, but it does not make a low-power NAS CPU perform like a current Mac or PC.
- Continuous comic mode: pages load progressively. A brief gap while the next
uncached page is prepared can be normal on NAS hardware.
BiblioFuse caches prepared pages and starts preparing upcoming pages on the server.
The first visit to a large archive can still be slower than later visits.
Before you begin
You need:
- a 64-bit Intel/AMD or ARM64 host with Docker Compose, or a Synology model with
Container Manager;
- one persistent folder for BiblioFuse configuration;
- one disposable folder for cache;
- a folder containing your books;
- TCP port
7343 available for the web UI.
On Synology, create folders similar to:
/volume1/docker/bibliofuse/config
/volume1/docker/bibliofuse/cache
/volume1/books
Your paths can be different. BiblioFuse never needs write access to the book folder.
Install with Docker Compose
- Download
docker/compose.yaml and docker/.env.example from this repository.
- Copy
.env.example to .env.
- Edit
.env and set CONFIG_PATH, CACHE_PATH, LIBRARY_PATH, PUID, PGID,
and BF_TIME_ZONE. LIBRARY_PATH is your own host folder; BiblioFuse never assumes
a personal folder name or path.
- Start BiblioFuse:
docker compose up -d
- Open
http://<server-ip>:7343.
- Create the first administrator account.
- Open Settings → Attach library, choose the displayed Library location or a
subfolder, then select Refresh.
The Compose file makes your selected LIBRARY_PATH available as the friendly Library
location. A fresh installation attaches no folders automatically: selecting a folder in
Settings controls what BiblioFuse indexes. The container cannot find a host folder that
was not mounted in Compose.
See the Docker installation guide for updates, backups,
permissions, remote access and troubleshooting.
Install with Synology Container Manager
Use synology/compose.yaml as a Container Manager project. Set the project variables
to absolute Synology paths, then start the project and open:
http://<nas-ip>:7343
This is the beginning of the README. Read the rest at the original. Read the full README ↗
